


Close to you I'll stay

by kromatus



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Ship tags added as they appear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2020-12-21 15:27:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21077156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kromatus/pseuds/kromatus
Summary: Dimitri is on track to graduate with honors from a prestigious university. But his new professor makes it difficult to pay attention. Determined to not give her the attention he desperately wants to — for the sake of his future — he continues to work hard on his studies and maintaining his friendships and professional relationships. But not everything goes according to plan.





	1. Chapter 1

Dimitri liked to be early to his classes, if he could. It was harder when there’s a previous class before hand he had to travel from, but if he had ample time, he would make sure to be in front of the classroom door at the very least.

So there he could be found. He sat on the ground outside the classroom, his bag to his side, and his laptop in his lap. It was only the first day of class, but he was already trying to be ahead of the game. If the professor listed the syllabus online, he had already read it. If there was a material list, he already had everything on it. 

But his first class of the day was headed by a new professor. They were nowhere to be found of professor rating sites, their name showed no results when he searched, and none of his friends and acquaintances had ever heard of them.

Who was this mysterious Professor Eisner?

“Yo, Dimitri,” a force sat next to him, smelling distinctly of a specific cologne. 

“Good morning, Sylvain. I’m glad to see you here on time,” Dimitri greeted his friend, closing his laptop in the process.

“On time? I’m fifteen minutes early!” Sylvain opposed, running his hand through his brilliant red-orange hair.

“Sylvain,” Dimitri began, sliding the laptop into his leather laptop bag, “early is thirty minutes before the agreed upon time. On time and punctual is fifteen to ten minutes prior. It’s proper etiquette.”   
  
“Pfft,” Sylvain’s lips flapped, “we’re in college, dude. Live while you’re young. You have your whole life to run your dad’s company. Etiquette be damned.”

“Habits are easy to form and hard to break, and this is one habit I’d like to keep. But thank you for your advice.”

“Whatever, dude,” Sylvain shrugged, throwing one leg over the other stretched out in front of him. “Is anyone else in our class?”

Blond strands fell from the styled, slightly slicked back position he kept it in, resting in front of his icy blue eyes, “I don’t think so. But then again, how many of our friends need this specific class?”

“Yeah, true. They were smart and majored in other things.”

“Are you saying what we’re pursuing is not something smart and worthy?”

“I’m just saying it’s boring, dude. It takes too much extra time.”

“I’m sorry the school you’re paying for is cutting in to your flirting and partying time.”

“Come on, Dimitri, don’t be like that,” Sylvain groaned, pulling his knees up to his chest and burying his face in them, “I just want to have a  _ little _ fun. Is that so much to ask for?”

“I suppose not,” Dimitri sighed. 

The thunder of soft soles echoed through the hallways as more and more students filled into the building, up and down stairs, and through doorways. The cacophony of voices felt like an ocean washing over his ears. It was a bit comforting being in school again. He didn’t know what to do with his time when he had too much of it. He occupied himself in the summer with some work for his company, and working out in the early morning. After he got into his school routine, he was hoping to keep his exercise routine going early in the morning before he started his day.

“Do you think the room is unlocked?” Sylvain asked, fingers idly pulling at folds in his pants.

Dimitri shrugged, “I have no idea. I didn’t check.”

“Why don’t you check? I swear, you’re all book smarts and no common sense…” the red head grumbled as he stood, throwing his bag over his shoulder and crossing the hallway to attempt to open the door. With a little jiggle, it opened to reveal a completely empty classroom with the lights off. “Come on, let’s find our seats.”

“Is it such a good idea for us to sit together?” Dimitri stood, also grabbing his bag and walking into the room behind his friend, “Will we be able to focus?”

“Nothing breaks your focus. Just sit with me. But don’t be too hurt if a cute girl is in the class and catches  _ my _ attention.”

“Be my guest, truly,” Dimitri sighed, taking the seat beside his friends before reaching for his laptop once more. “By the way, Sylvain, have you ever heard anything about our professor before?”

“Hm?” Sylvain hummed, throwing his notebook and pen down on the tablet, “Who is it again?”

“A Professor Eisner?” Dimitri questioned, hoping to pull up his schedule again to verify it was indeed the name.

“Eisner?” Sylvain repeated, “No, never heard of ‘em. They don’t show up on the rating sites either?”

Dimitri shook his head, the few blond strands tickling the bridge of his nose again. “Couldn’t find them anywhere. And no one else has heard of them. I wonder if they’re a new professor in general. I’m not sure it’s wise to give such a green teacher to an advanced level course, but I guess it’s trial by fire.”

“I wonder if it’s a woman.”

“Of course you do…”

“You always act like there’s something wrong with me, but I’m just being myself, dude. I’m just a hot-blooded guy.”

“Mm,” Dimitri hummed, only half paying attention.

Sylvain continued to prattle on about whatever came to his mind. His summer dates, flings, and various other salacious romances were sprinkled throughout his talking at a hundred words a minute.

Students filed in one at a time, taking their places at the remaining empty seats. Sylvain still talked and the clock continued to tick. At two minutes past the class start time, Dimitri began to sweat. It was completely inappropriate for teachers to be late to their own class, much less on the first day. It left a bad impression. Sure, things could happen. Traffic could keep them, a student stopping them in the hall, anything. Impatient, he figured he could make better use of his time, and withdrew his planner and a pen and began to mark in some blocks for studying and working, as well as time for him to maintain his exercise at the nearby gym.

But still he was growing all the more impatient. Where could this professor be? Was no one else concerned?

And he was ready to say something until one last person shuffled through the door, a brilliant blue-green color blurring past him.   


“Sorry I’m late…” the colored blur muttered, roughly letting their bag down behind the nearby podium.

“Dude…” Sylvain tapped on Dimitri’s arm, completely stupefied, “no way.”

Dimitri took care to get a better look at the professor of their class. At the head stood a beautiful woman with color as deep as the ocean hair. She was young, and she was serious. And when she picked up her gaze and caught his own, Dimitri caught the glimpse of piercing and distant blue eyes. How this woman could be a walking contradiction that perplexed him so was astounding on it’s own, but her voice was sweet like a chorus of angels and was as smooth and delicious as honey.

Blood crept up his neck and stained his cheeks and the tips of his ears. A swallow and he regained his composure. Dimitri cast a quick glance to his side, relieved Sylvain was also too taken with the new professor than to notice his reaction.

It had been a long time since Dimitri was last taken by someone in such a way. He was young, and going through what every boy goes through — raging hormones — and was enamored by one of the secretaries at his father’s business. But he removed the experience from his mind, chalking it up to just the hormones of his teenage youth. But now, as a man, he was experiencing this rush of blood and excitement through his body again like it was new.

This isn’t even to say he’s never found other women attractive, but not many have sent him into such throes as this. The grip on his pen was getting tighter and tighter. Closer and closer he edged to snapping the pen in half.

She gave a small smile, tugging at the edge of her lips (slightly pink, possibly from a lip balm), before continuing on her greeting, “I’m Professor Byleth Eisner. You can call me Byleth, Professor, or Miss Eisner, I suppose—”

“ _ Miss _ ,” Sylvain whispered, tapping Dimitri on the shoulder with his knuckles.

“I’ll be teaching your class for the semester. Here,” the professor reached into her bag, withdrawing a stack of papers, “this is the syllabus. It outlines everything you’ll need to know about the class outside the, well, lessons.”

Dimitri took the time to drop his pen to his desk and bury his face in his hands. Why? Why was he punished this way? He just wanted to take his classes and move on with his year so he could be that much closer to finishing his undergrad. To have a professor like this was going to make paying attention hard. He wondered if his performance would suffer if she continued to look at him the way she had.

He hadn’t even noticed she was standing in front of him, holding out a sheet of paper with the same soft smile on her lips. With a shaky hand and dry throat, Dimitri took the sheet from her hands, noticing quickly how small they were compared to his own. He watched as she licked her finger pad, heat rising in him again, and flipped up another page to hand to his table mate Sylvain.

His jaw fell open. He should say something. Hello, good morning, anything! But instead he all but shouted, “Dimitri!”

Byleth jumped at his sudden outburst, the stack almost falling from her hold. As quick as lightning, he reached out and secured the stack of papers in his own grip. Every inch of his body was on fire and the temperature kept rising as she looked down at him from her standing position. The rise and fall of her chest, the startled expression, the loose strands of hair illuminated by the light filtering in through the windows.

_ What is wrong with me? _

But she smiled at him again. “It’s okay,” she shuffled her arms and took a better grip on the papers, “I got it. Thank you.”

She made no comment on his outburst or his name. She silently continued to pass out the sheets to the rest of the class. Dimitri sunk in his seat, lips pulled in tight and jaw clenched. He wanted to hide. If there was a way to become invisible based on will power alone, he wished for it with all his might.

“I suppose I can take a quick roll to see who all managed to get out of bed today…” Byleth muttered under her breath. Dimitri exhaled the breath he was holding as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, her eyes darting across the page. 

She began to call out names, glancing up to see who responded or raised their hand to mark their presence. She paused at a name, and Dimitri felt in his gut this was the one. His own. The deep blue eyes of the woman at the front of the room met his bright blue ones, “Dimitri, right?” The way she purred his name sent shivers down to his toes. The look she gave him, hidden by her fringe, sent him salivating.

“Y...yes. Dimitri.” How he could speak without drooling or choking was a miracle.

“Hm,” she huffed, before continuing on calling the class’s name.

The entire class time was a complete blur in his mind. His eyes followed her as she moved and his attention wavered when she stopped talking. And at the end of the class, when everyone got up to leave, Dimitri found himself frozen. He had another scheduled class in fifteen minutes, but his mind wandered in fog, aimless. 

“Dimitri? Are you feeling alright?”

The chair under him  _ squeaked _ with his sudden jolt back at the sudden appearance of his professor in his face. She had an eyebrow raised and her hands on her hips. 

“Huh?” the blond man struggled to say, heart beating agonizingly fast.

“You look pale. You should see a doctor if you’re unwell.”

How bad did he want to take her in his arms. How bad did he want to hear her voice call his name again. He knew he was being ridiculous. He knew this was merely lust, a completely inappropriate reaction to meeting someone who didn’t need to be burdened with his hungry gaze. 

_ I must do… I must be better. _

“Yes,” Dimitri nodded, the strands tickling his nose and eyebrows, “yes, I’m quite fine. Thank you for your concern, Professor.”

“Well,” she hummed, a finger tapping against her chin now, “if you say so. Just make sure to get some rest. And stay hydrated.”

“Of course. Thank you, Professor. I’ll be heading to my next class now…”

The shuffling of his bag filled the room as he stuffed his planner and pen back inside and slung it over his shoulder. He stood, the chair squeaked again. And suddenly, he was very aware of how tall he was. He dwarfed the professor beneath him. Her gaze followed his, looking directly into his soul it seemed.  _ What a piercing stare for someone so small… _

“Yes. Well,” she turned on her heel, hair catching in her momentum and shampoo wafting to his nose, “have a good day… Dimitri.”

Immediately he was weak in the knees, trembling at her voice and the way she cooed her name at him. Lids closed over his bright sky blue eyes and he relished in the sound of her voice. Before she could exit, he quickly left the room, and left behind the professor and the hold she had over him.

Faster and faster he rushed to his next class. Three buildings in between them wasn’t a large enough distance. With his face and the tips of his ears still scarlet, he sat at the back of the classroom. Over and over he played the scene in his head, heard her voice calling his name. 

How ridiculous to be so infatuated so soon. Hair  _ swished _ with the shakes of his head to clear her from his mind.  _ This needs to stop here. I have no time to be so taken and so weak.  _ Then and there, as soon as the infatuation took hold of him, he decided he would bury it down inside him and not to indulge any further. He couldn’t jeopardize his school career so close to being done with it.

And now he was thinking clearer, he realized he didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to Sylvain. Then again, he was sure they would soon see each other around campus. That is, if the rest of his friend group didn’t plan to meet up later.

Maybe today, he would just have for himself to gather his thoughts and to steel his resolve about finishing his schooling on time. It seemed as though he had just sat down, he was already being dismissed from the class. Students pushed past him, knocking and bumping shoulders and elbows. He felt in a daze — his head in a fog. The rush came in suddenly. Waves roared and crashed against his ears, filling his head like a river after a broken dam, drowning him under the weight of it all. His heart rate jumped and he could feel his hands start to shake.

“Dimitri?”

_ Help!  _ He wanted to scream.  _ Please, help! _ He wanted to roar. Someone, please, anyone, save him.

Frozen. He was frozen in his seat. This is the worst attack he’s had of late.  _ Please… please help me. _

A soft and gentle touch to his shoulders jolted him back. And the room was quiet.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a long time, but I finally found the motivation to finish writing this chapter and publish it! Hope you enjoy!

“Dimitri,” the voice whispered, gently rubbing his shoulder, “are you feeling alright? You look positively pale.”

The spinning slowed and his breathing mellowed. The dread and panic he felt inside soothed. Heavy his arms felt on the desk, like tons of concrete unable to be lifted. Slowly, he stretched his fingers and stood up straighter. 

More strands of blond hair fell and jostled around as he turned his head. He knew the voice, but it was nice to see the face it belonged to as well. 

“Mercedes,” he whispered back, “what are you doing here?”

“The question is what you’re doing here, Dimitri.” Her voice was soft and carried a gentle melody, “My next class is in this room and starts soon. Do you not have another class to go to?” She sat in the seat next to him and set down her bag.

The sweet scent of her perfume wafted to his nose and he inhaled it deep. She said it was a perfume she once found at an antique shop, but she wore it everyday for the years he’d known her. Once upon a time, he expressed his crush he had on her in a small hallway of their church. And once upon a time, she turned him down gently, saying she wasn’t the one for him and he’d find the right one later in life. Still they remained good friends and confidants. 

Mercedes, who listened to Dimitri and his problems without judgement. Mercedes, who offered her shoulder when the news of his father and step-mother passing made it to him. Mercedes, who helped him with his college applications and filling out all the forms he needed. Mercedes, a woman too good for this world.

“No,” he finally responded, his arms dropping in weight drastically, “No, I don’t. But… I think I might take a trip to the gym. Clear my head a bit.”

She placed her hand on his arm, keeping him in place. Their eyes locked and she pleaded with him, “Dimitri, don’t work yourself too hard.”

“You worry too much, Mercedes,” he chuckled thinly behind a smile, “I’ll be just fine. I just need to get some of this adrenaline out.”

“If you need me, Dimitri, please don’t hesitate to call. Alright?” Slowly she retrieved her hand from over his arm, “You know I’m always just a call away.”

Mercedes, always the thoughtful one. Always worried about everyone else more than herself. Mercedes, the one who seemed to know him better than he knew himself right now.

“I know, Mercedes,” Dimitri smiled at her kindly, “I know.”

He left her to her class. Her slender fingers gripped a pen as she filled out her planner. If there was anyone more organized than him, it was her. Although she was the one who helped him get into his planning habit to begin with. 

He owed a lot to Mercedes.

oo

The gym was quiet. Usually, it was full of noise and music and the sounds of equipment being used. But today, today it was quiet. Today it was just Dimitri and his heavy breathing as he ran on the treadmill. 

Often was he teased about his intense cardio workout; how he seemed to be running from some invisible army chasing after him. The look he wore was concentrated, but panicked. The bright blond hair, that of his father, was pulled back into a tight ponytail behind his head as he ran, wrapped in the same green hair tie Felix had lent him many months ago.

Visions of his aquamarine haired teacher bounced around in his mind’s eye - in rhythm to his run with each foot hitting the treadmill - and the way her brilliant eyes seemed to stare into his soul even in passing. It had been years since he last felt so infatuated with someone so, and he wasn’t sure how to process the feeling of lusting for another person in such a way. His heart beat faster and faster the more he thought of Byleth Eisner, threatening to burst through his chest.

In a panic, he slammed the STOP button on the treadmill, slowing his gait until he came to a complete stop on the machine. Sweat poured down him, like an afternoon rainfall he might have been trapped in. His vision blurred through sweat, and through a rush of hormones he was trying to hide so desperately. 

“Get a hold of yourself, Dimitri… Don’t be weak…”

The echoes and crashes in his ears drowned out his own words.The voices of his father, and of his step-mother, reverberated in his skull, bouncing from corner to corner.

“Dimitri,” the melodic voice of his mother called.

“Dimitri,” his father stated, a bit of pain hidden behind the low baritones.

“Dimitri!” They cried in unison, through tears and through blood.

Crescents waxed over his temples. Warm droplets of blood gathered under his nails that dug into the soft flesh above his eyebrows. For so long, the voices were restricted to his nightmares, haunting him still but in the peace of his own bed. 

The red stained hands he brought in front of his face, the pain he felt on his temples, it all proved this was no dream. He was very much awake, and very much still being tortured by the voices of the dead that call out to him. 

Blue illuminated near him, flashing a bright name. 

**Ingrid calling**

Quickly, he wiped his hands off on his black gym shorts, thankful for not wearing anything so light that could be stained so easily. With gentle fingers, he received the call and lifted the phone to his ear, making sure to keep a distance so as to not get blood all over the phone and screen. 

“Hello?”

“Dimitri? You sound awful. Are you okay?” Ingrid’s voice could barely be heard over the cacophony of sound around her.

“Y-yeah, yes. I’m completely fine. Where are you? I can barely hear you.”

“I’m at the café with the group. Come meet us.”

Thin lips tightened into a line as he contemplated his options. He could _not_ go easily, but that would cost them bothering him more the next day or meetup. He could go, cleaned up but still clearly injured, and be asked a million and two questions. Or he could… well, just say no.

“Uhm…” His eyes darted frantically around, trying to come up with his decisions. 

“Just come on. We have the table and I already ordered you your favorite.”

Times like these, he was thankful for the people he had in his life; reminded that those in the living world still need and want him despite the calls from the dead.

“Alright. I’ll be there in a bit.”

“Gym?”

“Yeah. Needed to clear my head.”

“Sure sure,” she muttered absentmindedly, “Don’t take too long.”

“Right. Bye Ingrid.”

She didn’t respond in kind, ending the conversation with the disconnected tone. A long exhale whistled out his nose as he locked his phone and put it on the treadmill next to him. Drop after drop of sweat splashed on the mat by his feet, rolling over his forehead and off the tip of his nose, dyed pink. 

_I guess it’s time to call it a day and have a shower_… Dimitri’s own voice echoed in his head. Screams reverberated, miles and miles away within his head, calling for him.

Sweat flew in every direction as he shook his head to clear the cries away.

“I’ve no time for you, voices… I have no time to hear your cries…”

oo

“Dimitri! Over here!”

Bell chimes announced his entrance into the café. A wild hand waved to catch Dimitri’s attention, belonging to none other than his very blonde friend, Ingrid. Sylvain picked his head up, also waving to the well-put together man still in the doorway. With a small smile, Dimitri made his way over to his group of friends, almost excited to sit down amongst his friends and relax for the first time that day.

“You finally made it,” Ingrid teased, poking a finger into Dimitri’s side as he sat on the couch next to her.

“Sorry, sorry, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t completely abhorrent before coming.”

“Good. You smell bad enough when you’re clean, much less when you’ve been sweating.” The voice was deep and harsh, partnered with an annoyed expression hidden behind a few dark strands of hair.

“Felix, don’t be mean!” Ingrid scolded, “All three of you still act like you’re children, sometimes…”

“Age is a state of mind,” Sylvain cooed, flicking away some of his bright orange hair in a grand gesture.

“Your state of mind is ‘stuck in the gutter’ and you know it,” Felix quipped back, slapping the back of Sylvain’s head lightly.

For the first time that day, Dimitri allowed himself to laugh at his friend’s antics. It was a low laugh, nothing too loud or distracting, but it relieved the breath he was holding all the same. 

“Dimitri!” Ingrid whispered, closing in on him with a gentle hand reaching for his face, “What happened? You’re covered in little red marks on your forehead.”

He didn’t respond with words, but instead gave her a knowing look. This wasn’t the first time he had been tortured so by the voices that he accidentally injured himself.

“Another one?” She continued to keep her voice down, careful not to draw attention to him.

“Yeah…”

“How have your visits with the doctor been?”

He couldn’t tell her he hadn’t gone in weeks. “Fine.”

“You’re lying.”

_Damn._ “They were going fine. Until I stopped going.”

“Dimitri… You have to go. It's good for you.”

“I’ll…” His eyes met hers, who looked on him with all the love he could imagine a sister would give to her brother for his health. “I’ll think about it, Ingrid. Thanks for your concern.”

The soft thumb on his cheek brushed over a small red mark before withdrawing back into the lap of whom it belonged. There the conversation ended. And there was when he thought about giving his appointments a try once again.

It was a quiet day in the café. Only a few other patrons were hunched over their own cups of coffee, absorbed in their own lives and activities. While not too loud, his friend group was still the loudest in the establishment. Ingrid rejoined the conversation with the other two boys in front of him. The liveliness was very welcomed to Dimitri, enjoying the little microcosm of life and laughter in front of him.

“So, are you going to go?” Ingrid turned to Dimitri with a smile, putting their conversation just moments ago behind her.

“Huh?”

“To the party on Friday night? Weren’t you listening?”

“Oh, no, I wasn’t, Ingrid, I’m sorry…”

“You know he doesn’t go to parties, Ingrid,” the raven haired man slouched into the couch he had been lounging in with the red-head, “He has a ‘reputation’ to maintain, or something.”

“Well, maybe he wants to come to this one!” She pouted at Felix before turning back to the other blond in the group, “Come on, Dimitri, come to this one with us! You really need to be networking, anyway.”

“I don’t think a party constitutes as a networking event, Ingrid,” Dimitri sighed, offering her a pained smile, “But I’ll consider it. It depends on my workload for the weekend and if I’m needed at the office.”

“You need a break, man,” Sylvain spoke up. His hand still rubbed at the spot Felix had slapped him, feigning a greater injury than what was sustained, “Loosen up! Come out with us!”

“He said he’ll think about it. Now shut it.” More harsh words from Felix, partnered with a pointed look to the others in the group. 

“Oh!” The redhead exclaimed quickly, “I forgot to mention! Dimitri’s in love.”

Immediately, the large blond man seemed to burst into flames. His eyes grew wide, showing more white than usual, and his entire face became as red as Sylvain’s hair. 

“What?!” Felix and Ingrid gasped simultaneously. Both gave all their attention to the man in question with bated anticipation — one excited and the other in complete disbelief.

“S-Sylvain!” A high shrill escaped from the large man, who now was trying hard to not faint at the words. “I-I’m not! At all! Don’t spout lies so openly!”

“He is, he is!” Sylvain continued on, pulling Ingrid and Felix to him with his words, leaving them hanging on, “To our professor!”

“A professor?” Felix raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Seems about right,” Ingrid nodded excitedly, “Dimitri has always had a thing for those in authority.”

“Why must you torture me…”

“I’ve never seen him so nervous around a woman before! It’s puppy love, for sure.”

“The Boar can’t feel love,” Felix spoke confidently, brushing aside Sylvain and Ingrid’s excited chattering. “Imagine him not thinking about work or his family business for more than five minutes.”

The conversation continued on without either Dimitri or Felix. The latter sipped on his coffee and went back to the book he must have been reading prior to Dimitri’s arrival. The man being discussed not even a foot away from the words firing rapidly between the two gossips only sat in complete silence and stillness.

Besides being completely embarrassed, he would hardly consider the infatuation he experienced earlier as anything resembling a word as strong as _love_. He had only loved two people in his life. His father, and his step-mother, both of whom he made a mental note to visit during the weekend, should he be free.

Absentmindedly, he took the cup of coffee with his name on it off the table in the center of the commotion in the group and took a large sip, ignoring the scalding happening in his mouth and throat. It didn’t compare to the heat still flaring under his skin. Over and over he prayed in his mind that the chatter would cease and he could be left alone again.

But everytime he tried to distance himself mentally, he was given the brilliant visage of the teal-haired professor from earlier that day. He dreaded the thought of this torture happening three times a week.

oo

The next day, Dimitri attended his other classes with a cloudy head. Luckily, each of his other classes had another of his friends in it. His morning one had Ingrid, who asked again if he was going to come to the party on Friday. And again, Dimitri replied he was still unsure and would decide later.

That afternoon, he had a class with Felix. The two barely spoke, until Felix also asked if Dimitri had plans to attend the party on Friday. Once more, Dimitri said he wasn’t sure, and opted to ask why Felix was so interested in his Friday night plans. With a pout, Felix said he had no interest and was asking for Ingrid’s sake.

The next day, his class with Sylvain, and his mystifying professor, went smooth compared to the first day. But, he supposed it helped that he kept his head down and eyes on his paper the entire time. Dimitri felt great shame at being so taken by his professor, he thought it best if he avoided her gaze entirely. 

Thoughts of dropping the class definitely crossed his mind. But being so close to graduating, it would be more of a pain to try and retake the class again, especially since it was only offered in the fall semester.

“Dimitri?”

The blond man tensed at the call of his name. It didn’t help, either, that Sylvain was nudging him with a pointed elbow.

“Yes, professor?” Dimitri responded back, still keeping his head down, playing at scribbling notes. 

“Just making sure you’re paying attention.”

He could hear the teasing in her voice, even without looking up to see the playful look on her face.

“Dude…” Sylvain whispered, “I wish I was you right now.”

Dimitri’s entire body lit up in flames. The teasing was one thing, but the additional poking from Sylvain just stoked the flames.

The class ended without further embarrassment. But now Dimitri was in dire need of some coffee and to be far away from the classroom. The strides he took were long and exasperated as he continued to make his way to his favorite shop near the campus, avoiding anyone and everyone. For once, he hoped none of his friends would be there. He craved being left alone, if even for just a moment.

“Hello, Dimitri,” the employee behind the counter greeted him at his entrance, “What’ll you have today?”

The employee was a short girl with bright orange hair, a few shades lighter than Sylvain’s. She was a relatively new employee, but due to his and his friends consistent business almost daily, he quickly became known. 

“Hello, Annette. Just the usual today, please.”

“Of course. Anything else?”

“A spell to turn invisible, if you have it.”

“Hah! If only, right? I think we could all use one of those.”

“Y-yeah…”

“Anyway, I’ll have your order up in just a bit.”

“Thanks, Annette.”

He nodded to the girl behind the counter before taking his large body over to a nearby armchair and settling in to wait for his cup of coffee. Slowly, his body released the tension it had been holding for the entirety of the class. Each limb released the stress, replacing it instead with a dull soreness.

In and out, open and close, the dinging of the bell above the door was incessant as people entered and left the shop. Dimitri stopped paying attention to the door after a few seconds of various faces and bodies scrolled past his vision.

“Hi, how can I help you today?” Annette’s voice broke through the chatter, a bit louder than previous bodies.

“Can I get a—”

Dimitri’s attention snapped to the counter. The familiar teal hair stood, her back to them, speaking with Annette.

_Oh no…_

It was too late to run. It would be too obvious, and he would miss out on his coffee he already paid for. Lower Dimitri sank into the plush chair, trying hard to look as inconspicuous as possible.

“Dimitri?” Annette called, placing his order on the counter for him to pick up.

_Please no…_

“Dimitri?” Professor Byleth mimicked, looking around the cafe before her blue eyes settled on the large blond man.

With his cover blown, Dimitri stood with an exhausted sigh. He knew he was tall, he’s always been tall, but he towered over everyone in the cafe around him, especially over his professor who was approaching him at a much faster speed than he was anticipating.

“Dimitri! I didn’t know you frequented this cafe!”

Small shocks traveled up his arm with the grip he took on the cup of coffee, trying his damndest to not squeeze it too tight and have it spill or explode on himself or the professor who was deep inside his personal bubble.

“Y-Yes, I come here with my friends.”

“Are you feeling alright? You seemed to keep your head down in class today.”

“I’m fine… I just missed my morning coffee. I’m sure you understand.”

“Ah… Yes, caffeine withdrawals. I find I’m a zombie if I don’t have at least two to three cups a day.” Byleth covered her mouth, stifling her giggle. “Well, make sure to have your coffee before class on Friday, alright? I need you to pay attention.”

“Byleth?” Annette called, placing another cup on the counter.

“Ah, well that’s me! I have to head back to campus, I have a meeting. I’ll see you on Friday, Dimitri. Have a good afternoon!”

Byleth waved goodbye, trotting out of the cafe and past the window in the direction of their campus, disappearing in a crowd of students on the sidewalk waiting to cross the road.

Not even able to say goodbye, Dimitri waved after her, his face still tense to hide his feelings of panic inside.

_This semester is going to be hell…_

oo

The next day came and went as quick as the previous Tuesday. Morning class went fine with Ingrid, who kept up idle chatter with Dimitri to take his mind off of his previous afternoon’s encounter with the woman he was infatuated with. But since it was Ingrid, before he traversed past the door, she called after him to ask if he was going to the party. With a heavy sigh, Dimitri said once more that he would think about it.

On this day, however, Felix was much more chatty.

“Ingrid asked me to ask if you were going again. I don’t know why she thinks me asking is going to change your answer when you’ve already answered her question.”

“Is it possible for you to not sound angry or bored when you speak to me, Felix?” Dimitri shot back, not looking up from his laptop as he took notes at furious speeds. “Whatever happened to the happy little Felix who was excited to hang out with his best friend _Dima_?”

Bright cerulean eyes peered through the strands of blond hair to the pleasant surprise of Felix’s angry blush.

“Shut up. We’re no longer children.”

“Whatever you say, Felix.”

“So, what’s your answer? Should I just go ahead and tell her you said ‘no’, again?”

“I… I just don’t know, Felix. I have a lot on my mind and a lot to do.”

“You know I don’t really care if you go or not.”

“Sure.”

The raven-haired man shifted in his seat uncomfortably. Arms dropped and raised, crossed and uncrossed and crossed again.

“What’s on your mind, Felix?”

The angry man remained silent and kept shifting and adjusting in the seat. Dimitri rolled his eyes and kept on with taking the notes.

“Can you send those to me later?” Felix finally asked.

“Why aren’t you just taking notes yourself?”

“Injured my hand at fencing practice last night.”

“I’m surprised you let someone best you enough to injure you.”

“Well…”

“Well?”

“Dimitri! Felix!” The professor at the front of the room snapped, “Please stop talking during my lecture!”

Both men nodded and hung their heads. Regardless of not answering Felix’s question, Dimitri was already drafting an email for his childhood friend, ready to attach the day's notes before the end of the class period. He also assumed, safely, that Felix wanted to continue their conversation after the class ended.

After the class, the two agreed to walk to the cafe together to get another cup of coffee and continue their conversation. Outside in the warm sun (still high in the summer sky), Felix showed the many bruises over his hands, even pulled down the collar of his shirt to show the growing black and blue splotch on his breast over his heart.

“They really did a number on you, huh?” Dimitri was completely at a loss for words, incredulously looking over Felix. “You’re the best fencer I know.”

“I’m the best fencer _period_, Dimitri. But this woman—”

“A woman?”

“She’s amazing, Dimitri. I’ve never been knocked down so quickly, or bested at all in a spar. It was so… _refreshing_!”

“You seem really taken with her.”

“We sparred multiple times all evening. Fencing, wooden swords, martial arts. Anything. She won every time.”

“Could it be that cold, heartless Felix is in love? For the first time?”

“I would never say I’m in love!” Felix spit, his gaze hardening.

“But you like her well enough to praise her.”

“I’d praise anyone that could take me out.”

“Is she pretty?”

Silence overtook the black-haired man, a vermillion dust coating his cheeks, nose, and the tips of his ears. 

“I guess I have my answer!” The larger man guffawed, clapping his friend on the back. “Are you going to introduce her to us?”

“I… I invited her to the party…”

“As a date?”

Felix nodded, working loose a few of the black strands that were held tight in a bun behind his head. 

“Hm… I guess I can go. I have to meet this wonderful woman.”

“Don’t do me any favors, Boar.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

oo

Class with Professor Byleth Eisner went almost without a hitch. Dimitri was able to look forward, even catch her gaze, without wanting to be sick with infatuation. Sylvain, surprisingly, took diligent notes beside him rather than teasing him.

“I’ve decided to come tonight,” Dimitri announced to Sylvain after class ended. 

Byleth had already dashed out of their classroom, no doubt grabbing another cup of coffee or heading into another meeting, especially at the speed she moved, allowing him to feel at ease with speaking up with his friend.

“Really?” Sylvain balked, “I actually didn’t expect you to say ‘yes’ at all. Who are you bringing?”

“Who…?”

“Yeah…? Don’t tell me you plan to come without a date, dude. You’ll look like such a loser without one.”

Dimitri’s lips pulled into a tight line. “I had no idea…”

“It’s fine, man, just… Don’t you have any friends you could ask?”

“Ingrid?”

Sylvain shook his head, “No good. She and I are going together so she’ll be left alone by weird guys. And doesn’t care if I’m myself while there.”

The tall, slender red-head slung his bag over his shoulder and gestured goodbye. Like a lightning bolt, Dimitri was struck with a wonderful idea. Leaping down the stairs and jogging to the nearby building, he smiled to himself. 

Impatiently, he bounced his leg through his next class, eyes glued to the clock. He hoped that today wouldn’t be the day she wasn’t coming to class.

At the hour mark, the professor dismissed his class. Student after student packed up their things and filed out of the room, but Dimitri remained still. Moments ticked by on the clock before the click of the door echoed in the room.


End file.
